The Research and Innovation Department of Koforidua Technical University (KTU) is set to release research findings into the implementation of the Free Senior High School Policy.
The report includes an assessment of quality and implementation challenges that have bedeviled the policymaking.
The report will also make recommendations to the government on the way forward to making the policy sustainable and improving the quality of education at the Senior High School level.
Free SHS was introduced in September 2017 by the Akufo Addo-led government in line with a campaign promise and constitutional requirement.
As stated in Article 25 1b of the 1992 Constitution, “Secondary education in its different forms including technical and vocational education, shall be made generally available and accessible to all by every appropriate means, and in particular, by the progressive introduction of free education.”
Goal 4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) states: “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.”
It has therefore been a priority of the government and the Ministry of Education to ensure that education is made free from basic to secondary to afford more children in Ghana the opportunity to access quality education.
In September 2017, the Ministry achieved a major milestone with the implementation of the Free Senior High School program. That year, there was an 11% increase in enrolment, breaking records from previous years. In the 2017/18 academic year, a new record was set with the highest enrolment ever seen in the country: over 470,000 students enrolled in senior high school.
The number of beneficiaries has since ballooned.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
